A terminal may be classified into a mobile/portable terminal and a stationary terminal according to whether the terminal is movable. The mobile/portable terminal may be re-classified into a handheld terminal and a vehicle mounted terminal according to whether the terminal is directly portable by a user.
A function of a mobile terminal has been diversified. For example, the mobile terminal has functions of data and voice communication, photography of a still image and video through a camera, voice recording, reproduction of a music file through a speaker system, and output of an image or a video on a display unit. Some terminals further include an electronic game function or a multimedia player function. In particular, a recent mobile terminal may receive a multicast signal for providing broadcast or visual content such as a video or a television (TV) program.
As the terminal is diversified in function, the terminal is configured in the form of a multimedia player with multiple functions including photography of a still image and video, reproduction of a music file or a video file, gaming, and broadcast reception. Various new attempts to realize multiple functions of the mobile terminal embodied as a multimedia device have been applied in various ways in terms of hardware or software.
Examples of the multiple functions include a user interface environment for easy and convenient search or selection of a function by a user. In addition, as a mobile terminal has been considered as a personal belonging for expression of user's individuality, there has been a need for a design change for various forms such as a double-sided liquid crystal display (LCD) through which an image is viewed in opposite directions, a front touch screen, a flexible display, and so on.
However, it is necessary to consider the mobility or portability of a mobile terminal, and thus there is a limit in allocating a space for a user interface such as a display. Accordingly, in order to effectively use various functions provided by a mobile terminal, it is necessary to expand a space for a user interface to a lateral region of a terminal body using a flexible display and there is a need for a user interface using a new method for maximizing space usability.